SPINACH POORI/ PALAK POORI

   

It was intriguing to see so many colored pooris across the various websites. I couldn't take off my eyes from sowmya's (of tuma's tongue treat) palak poori post. Tried it for my daughter's breakfast and it surely was a hit as she asked me to pack some for her lunch box! Need I say more? I made a very small batch and took just a couple of pics and that too at about 6 in the morning. 

     Made a very small batch of the same which yielded 6 to 7 puris. The thing is I was in a hurry and didn't use any cups in making the breakfast. 

SPINACH POORI/ PALAK POORI RECIPE

Cuisine - Indian

Type - Breakfast/ main

Preparation time - About 20 minutes

Cooking time - 10 to 15 minutes

Yields - about 6 to 7 medium sized puris

INGREDIENTS

Spinach leaves and stalks (Palak) - 6 stalks

Wheat flour - as required

Garlic - 1 clove

Green chilly - 1/2 no

Salt - to taste

Water - as required

Ice cubes or very cold water - for blanching spinach 

Oil - for deep frying

METHOD

1. Wash spinach and cut the ends of the stalk and keep aside.Take enough water (of submerging level of the spinach leaves) and bring it to rolling boil. Switch off and add 6 stalks of the spinach along with leaves and close it with a lid. Let it sit for 2 minutes. Strain the water in a colander and add them immediately in a bowl of ice cold water (preferably with ice cubes in it). Leave it for another 2 minutes or until the spinach has completely cooled. So, blanching is literally giving shock to veggies by treating it in extremely hot and ice cold waters. 

2. Strain the water off the spinach and throw the leaves in a blender along with a garlic clove, half of a green chilly and salt to taste. Make a smooth puree and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Don't add water while making puree. Add wheat flour in batches to the puree and make a tight but pliable dough out of it. Keep it covered for at least 20 minutes.

3. Knead again and divide the dough into two equal portions. Divide one of them again into two more equal portions. Repeat until you get fairly equal sized portions of the dough. 

4. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel or kadai. A tiny bit of dough if thrown in the oil, comes up steadily means the oil is perfect for making pooris. Simmer it completely and roll out a dough ball into a circular disc. Sprinkle oil if it sticks to the rolling board. Try making the discs without cracks or folds as they abstain the pooris from fluffing up. 

5. Turn the flame high and wait for a second. Slide the poori now and pour some hot oil over it with the help of a slotted spoon. The poori would fluff now. Turn it gently with the spoon and cook until done. Take it off the oil and drain in a kitchen towel. Simmer the stove again. Make a disc and repeat the step to get hot and fluffy green pooris. Serve hot with poori masal and coconut chutney or just plain (believe me they taste awesome even plain).

TIPS

1. To get fluffy pooris, the dough should be tight but pliable. 

2. If the dough is dry, sprinkle water and knead again as it will make cracks which again will not make them puff.

3. It is safe to brush oil and make discs as extra dusting of flour may harden the pooris and may have sandy deposits in oil after frying them.

4. The oil should be hot while frying the pooris to make it fluff. Simmer the oil while rolling out discs since keeping it high would make the oil smoky.

5. Add a pinch of carom seeds (ajwain) for a great flavor. It also aids in digestion. Customize this recipe by adding red chilly powder or any other of your favourite dry spice powder.

6. Oil can be added while kneading the dough.